Today I saw on Israeli TV that this morning 30 rockets fell on Israel, including some on Haifa. No one was hurt. However, the fact that Hizballah (and Hamas) can fire rockets in broad daylight on Israel is very significant.

Israel has spy satellites in the sky photographing every object larger than 70 cm. Israel has pilotless planes photographing rocket crews launching rockets against Israel. Israel has the best air force in the world which can hit a car from a mile up in the sky. Israel has an excellent infantry and very sophisticated tanks–which it produces by itself.

Israel has Atom Bombs . . .

AND ALL THIS MODERN EQUIPMENT CANNOT STOP HIZBALLAH AND HAMAS FROM FIRING ROCKETS IN BROAD DAYLIGHT !!!

Sooner or later (I think within one year) most Israelis will absorb this fact and many will conclude that the only way to abolish the threat of the rockets is to reach an agreement with Palestinians. The present government follows Sharon’s policy of unilateral withdrawals.

They do so because withdrawal by agreement with the Palestinians would require them to return to the 1967 borders, to hand back old Jerusalem and the whole West Bank to the Palestinians. Sharon–and Olmert –are hardline annexationists and DON’T want to return to the 1967 borders.

Now the Israeli public sees the results of this policy in the form of rockets.

Bear in mind that NEVER BEFORE, not even in 1948 during the war of independence, did rockets, or shells, fall on Haifa, Safed, and Tiberias!

But today–with all Israel’s A-Bombs, satellites, F-16s, drones, etc, etc, this is happening.

When the current wave of war hysteria subsides many Israelis will understand what this means. It means that only peace with the Palestinians, resulting from a compromise the Palestinians agree to, canguarantee Israel’s security. The existence of a Palestinian state is the best guarantee of Israel’s security.

This will also satisfy Hizballah. Some Israelis will decide to emigrate after this flare up. The rest will, eventually, reach the conclusion I outlined above.

So on the whole, the lesson drawn from this flare up is positive. All Israel’s A-Bombs, satellites, airforce, tanks cannot defend Israel from rockets fired by guerrilla groups–Only agreement with the Palestinians can do so.

If the Palestinian population accepts the agreement Israel will be secure.

Going back to the pre-67 borders will give Israel 75 per cent of the territory of Palestine whereas the UN Partition Resolution of November 29, 1947 gave Israel only 50%. So they gain 25%.

If the Israelis do not want to accept 75 per cent they must live with the permanent threat of the rockets.

Instead of playing the pathetic role of the "Eternal Victim" they should stand up and accept the price they have to pay for what they covet. If they don’t want to pay the price they can always sit down with the Palestinians and reach an agreement based on the pre-1967 borders.